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Novel
Sitemap ' BOOK : Bioshock : Rapture ' --- --- --- --- --- Published : John Shirley, Tor Books, 2011 - "BioShock: Rapture" -- Novel which elaborates on the storylines of the BioShock games BS1/BS2 - In the Novel the Author, John Shirely, extrapolates some of the story lines and expands on some of the characters (the game is very vague - being really a Shooter Game and not a Novel). Much is inferred, but not explicitly mentioned. Much of the game is also strange and illogical. One of the problems I saw with the Novel was : Things that were left vague in the game (various vague evidence/partial information, often are taken from the in-game characters voicing what is opinion and being only from their own biased perspective -- or maybe their ADAM-addled mind). SO, such distortions in the game were, in the Novel, turned into narrative fact, and then were often extrapolated/expanded much further in far more detail (multiplying the distortion). Unfortunately, that led to the author latching onto the vague/half-seen illogical weirdness in the game, and then extending some rather odd assumptions even further. Shirley (the author) creatively explains some things, but has no answer for and ignores strange game story elements (For example : Things which are simply against the Laws of Physics) -- or WORSE reinforces them. The book goes a bit far trying to be 'explainy' about the 'Science' (things like the magic that ADAM does - inferring a little too much 'Psi' (psionic) type powers for ADAM's Plasmid operation). There is a great deal of repeating of many speech/events/details directly from the game, but then he makes many attempts to further explain some of the game plot/story/motives with further elaborations (many of them logical/plausible). Character interactions and relations are significantly expanded upon. One thing noticeable : Shirley moves certain events and circumstances significantly forward in time. Some story elements get pushed far earlier in his 'clarifications' (when the game left them far-less precisely defined). The ADAM madness and violence (and public awareness of it) are shown to happen much earlier, contradicting situations and event times in the Games (and making absurd many of the reason for certain events happening AND certain other thing are NOT happening WHEN they should be). Much of the game's story was told by Atlas, who (in the game YOU eventually learn) lied about most of what he has previously told you. That original game material (the bits recounted by Atlas) is thus NOT actually factual narration. The differences in the timings, severity of happenings, and the situation in Rapture, and the citizens reactions (IN THE NOVEL) may not necessarily be wrong. --- --- --- . . . . . . . Example of a Technical Error from contents of the Novel --- --- --- Rapture Novel - More Of The Same : The Novel's author takes things further, elaborating upon various details mentioned in the game. Unfortunately many of these elaborations are contradictory to the game details, or just go along with the original story's illogic : * For a 'Science Fiction' author (if he is even classified as such) Shirley has little understanding of 'deep underwater' effects on light and water pressure -- he simply regurgitates alot of faulty details from the game. * In having Ryan deciding to go after Fontaine 2 years BEFORE the 1958 event ('Shootout' where Fontaine is killed), and having the city being greatly terrorized by Splicers. Those are things which the populace would NOT have put up with (and likely gone after ADAM as a public hazard, and Fontaine as an instigator of the poison). * Parts of Rapture being RIGHT NEAR the Ocean surface in some scenes, 'for effect', but being wholly illogical (a great way for any passing icebergs to destroy any such buildings). Also the continuing of 'views' of Ocean wildlife which don't actually live at the depths which most of Rapture allegedly exists at. * Sofia Lamb is further shown with the rather convenient ability to sway everyone she comes in contact with (but there's never anyone shown who counters her manipulations, and denounces her, or reports on her subversive ideas in the Press -- THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD STORY VIGNETTE - How Sofia Lamb was 'exiled'). * A general lack of explanations of Rapture's economic mechanisms, allegedly with people out of work, but with lots of work which still needed to have gotten done (contrived 'class warfare'). Likewise, lacking the concept of price adjustments of costs/prices (as in : rents going down rather than having the owners have huge numbers of rental residences empty and earning no income). * Too many people in Rapture have a (modern) "I'll be taken care of" mentality, which wouldn't have existed (didn't fit the people/society of that time). Rapture (especially) was supposed to be full of capable people and NOT so many Welfare addicts/drones. * The Novel mentions that alot of ADAM is being bought by 'poor' people, and making Fontaine rich -- giving him the money for his 'poor houses'. How do 'poor' people afford it ? (Remember, they also make SUCH a point of there being SO VERY MANY 'poor' people in the computer game's story ...) And if ADAM is so addictive, THAT would have been quite obvious quite early (SO MANY ADDICTS !!!), causing/having it to be loudly DENOUNCED by Rapture's Free Press. Anothger one of Objectivisms important Institutions is defused and NOT allowed to operate in order to facilitate the story Failtopia * A good question might be : DID ADAM debilitate so many - MAKING them poor, rather than 'It is ALL Ryan's Fault' ??? Keeping them then 'poor' is in Fontaine's/Atlas's interest (not Ryan's). * Poor desperately-addicted people empowered with Plasmids would be robbing Fontaine's 'dealers' -- which even if suppressed with violence, could NOT avoid being heard of in Rapture's Press (nor of impacting his profits). Fontaine trying to quash such coverage ITSELF would be newsworthy, and a Ryan-protected Press could NOT be silenced (and would be a wedge Ryan WOULD use against a criminal Fontaine). BUT, the story writers MANAGE TO HAVE the Press contradictorily denouncing Ryan *AND* have important things like this go ignored/unmentioned. * A general lack of reactions from Rapture's ordinary people/citizenry, who DON'T EVER seem to take the actions likely of people from that era -- For them to actually do things for themselves (and collectively) to protect their 'way of life'. * ADAM is poisoning his (Ryan's) City, so instead of using that fact to condemn Fontaine, Ryan decides to go into the business himself (possibly to make 'improved' products that don't warp minds ... eventually --- all while the ADAM-caused mayhem is shown as a threat to public safety and Rapture's stability/survival). In the Novel, Crazies roam the streets long before BS1's narrative, via Atlas's lies, allows. Ryan can't/wont ban or regulate, but also apparently Shirley can't/wont allow people to go after the poison-maker for the damage Fontaine's product does (or have any Press warnings/denunciation/condemnation of ADAM and its maker). The Free Press covering such things is ignored/nullified (as if it is later in 'wartime' Rapture). * McDonagh (making a tape) saying that Fontaine is the enemy (Building "a Splicer Army" to takeover Rapture) and must be stopped, but then is shown to go against Ryan for taking actions against the Terrorists/Anarchists. * Children being abused by Fontaine, but nobody EVER seems to learn of it (or the populace WOULD have simply lynched Fontaine -- because that didn't "fit" the story the game writers wanted). Again it would have been something tangible Ryan could use to rid Rapture of its worst Parasite. * Novel says 1959 'civil war' Atlas 'controls' 40% of Rapture, and Sofia Lamb another smaller chunk (it doesn't state each sides population in those places though). The obvious tactic of TURNING OFF the AIR/ POWER/HEAT/WATER to these troublemaker's strongholds is never mentioned/suggested. Cutting Off transport would starve the rebels - If there were any real numbers of them (beyond what 'Atlas' could manage to supply them with). Again, the loyal population in the story is passive, and apparently still does nothing (is not allowed by the writer) for their own good. --- --- --- Page By Page Commentary : --- --- --- Novel Differences : check timeline vs game evidence The Novel has Sofia Lamb arriving 1950. Was there sufficient population and time to have the "closed/too-close environment" effect to be seen as a problem for the citizens already ? Indirectly, that would allow time for Ryan to have added/finished more 'people' facilities (Like the Arcadia 'park', museums, 'Carnival', Ryan Amusements, Stadium (with sports), Sander Cohens Theater, etc ... - The Novel story has Tenenbaum discovering the ADAM Sea Slugs 1950. Better : it can give some earlier story lead-time for Rapture's ADAM development, versus some 'Wave of the hand' over-simplified/unlikely-easiness/too-accelerated-events as seen repeatedly in the weak Infinite BS fantasy). The Sea Slug discovery date in BS1 is vague, so the MMORPG could use that 1950 date. - Fontaine shows up pretty early (1948), but without ADAM he's doing fishing (as his cover) and organizing his smuggling (which elsewhere I've explained CANNOT be anywhere enough to build his so-large 'empire', which is supposed to be the seed money for the whole ADAM business later). OK - more time to setup his operation(s) and recruit thugs and do his many criminal activities, etc.. (but be completely hidden from Ryan/the law/etc...) Serious ADAM development is shown in in the Novel (cute scenes like a dangerous Teleporting Splicer, and a human blob) --- --- --- Problematic Fisherman : ''' Fontaine (radio- Olympus Heights, when YOU are after him): "I've got twelve years down here" The Novel has him find out about and go to Rapture, while it is is still building - him making believe he runs a small fishing fleet. Thus Fontaine in Rapture ~1960-12 years = ~1948 (Add on some time up on the surface ocean running the fishing operation (fleet) before entry to Rapture). How exactly did fish get from trawlers into Rapture ? (Obviously '''More facilities are needed at the Lighthouse) Rapture's location is also 3000+ miles from the nearest North American base/port and ~4000 from US East Coast Funny thing is : Fontaine probably knew absolutely NOTHING about Ocean Fishing (nor Submarines), and how likely was it he would recruit competent crews when he was an unknown. Small boats (let alone a 'fleet') are dangerous enough on the Ocean (better yet in the North Atlantic) without a total ignoramus involved) -- anyone knowing the old/original 'Fontaine' (per the Novel, our Fontaine kills that person and takes their identity) would quickly know it wasn't him. Finding experienced 'crews' (for a small fleet of boats) from among the thugs Fontaine previous knew -- that is another unlikely event. --- --- --- --- --- PAGE BY PAGE ANALYSIS --- --- --- --- --- Page 377 Sloppy Shirley History In his attempt to add to the original story narrative about Tenenbaum's past (in some kind of allusion of hers to the Big Daddy/Little Sisters relationship), has her as a child in in Belorussia ' "before the war" ', and have the Nazis (German Officer all metal/Big Daddy-like) there taking away jews(?)/troublemakers (her family) and seizing her. When in fact, it was the Soviets who invaded and occupied Belorussia when the war started in 1939. (The eastern part of Belorussia was part of the Soviet Byelorussian SSR (from 1922), and the western Belorussia was part of Poland). This is a rather Sloppy expansion of the game's storyline which a tiny bit of history research could have avoided. This was the writer's attempt to expand Tenenbaum's personal history, which had led to her being in the German concentration camp - Used in a scene where Tenenbaum finally realizes and decides to 'save' the Little Sisters trapped and abused by her actions which turned them into ADAM-generators. --- --- --- Ryan's Background : The Novel says Ryan left Russia (near Minsk) 1918. He was around 12. It mentions Ryan's father "got word from the priest" (probably not exactly what a Jew would getSee Authentic Diversity ...) (A 'Priest' woulda been the one of the first ones the Bolshies 'rounded'up ', no ?) ??? need date on this 1918-1919 ?? Allegations create by Ken Levine now saying Ryan was a Jew (part of his new "Authentic Diversity" spiel(2015), since he'd been trying to talk up a new job, and a new game producing studio). Revisionisms ... even by people who were the Canon originators, is not necessarily 'Canon' also. Historically, it was a fairly complicated situation there for the place Ryan is supposed to come from - near Minsk in Belorussia, now Belarus (details in the Novel which BTW does not mention 'jew' anything in its elaborations of Ryan's origins) : Minsk in period Ryan was supposedly a child there (as per Novel) : * 1813–1917 To Russian Empire * 1918–1918 Under German occupation during WW1 * 1918–1919 To Belarusian National Republic * 1919–1919 To Belorussian SSR * 1919–1920 Under Polish occupation (actually changed hands twice) * 1921–1941 To Belorussian SSR, since 1922 in the Soviet Union The scene in the Novel is soon after the Russian Revolution, when Ryan was 12 years old and is forced to flee with his father as he sees his relatives being killed by the Communists. --- --- --- The Novel has Fontaine's Minions Killing City Constables in the Streets in 1956/1957 : And yet Ryan's security still doesn't trace it back to Fontaine and arrest him -- probably because it has to be handled 'Legally'. 'Innocent until Proven Guilty', isn't quite the "Pigeon-holed" "Ryan's a Tyrant" narrative the game writers foist on the Player to assist in their 'help Atlas' twist-plot. Rapture's Press hardly reacts to the whole Splicer mayhem situation. Unfortunately by clarifying the game's vague storyline (which didn't mention such (early) anti-authority violence in Rapture -- a Fontaine disruption to Ryan's authority before his own 'power play') into specifics of that kind of activity, the Novel pushes the original story setting into greater unbelievability. Rapture is actually TOO SMALL A PLACE for such overt actions to NOT be noticed and traced back to its source - and thus ending Fontaine almost immediately. In the games story, after Kashmir, Ryan starts instituting stronger Security Measures to try to maintain order/protect the populace, and to isolate and COUNTER what the Anarchists egged on by Atlas(Fontaine) are doing to disorder Rapture (which thus explains starting to add Security Cameras in many places, and pushes the development of (lets please allow some time for this) the Flybot security units -- which is something unlikely to be done earlier or with much priority before the full disruptions of the 'civil wars' Terrorism and Splicer destruction really significantly increases ... Fontaine (in BS1) pulled his switch of identity/faked death probably because he figured out that it was 'just a matter of time' for the Authorities to trace/discover his many crimes ( and that Ryan WOULD 'put him out of business' and Fontaine would go to Prison exile like Sophia Lamb had. ) So here we have another MMORPG Canon issue : The Novel's "take" on Rapture's history ??? How much of it to use and how much to abandon as problematical. --- --- --- --- --- . .